Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe debuts one-acts about Muhammad Ali and Nell Carter

On the surface, you wouldn’t think Tony Award-winning entertainer Nell Carter and boxing champ Muhammad Ali would have much in common, but you begin to see some overlap in their stories in a pair of new one-act shows that bring them together in premieres at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

Tarra Conner jones, who created and stars in “From Birmingham to Broadway,” is one of the most dynamic performers to have appeared in recent years at WBTT, making her a strong fit for Carter, who escaped segregation and a teenage rape to become a star on Broadway in “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” before becoming known to millions as the lead in the 1980s sitcom “Gimme a Break.”

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She uses a traditional musical biography format to depict Carter as a woman determined to find her spotlight, while always looking for something more. She sees herself as a failure at love who turned to drugs and alcohol when the adoration of fans wasn’t enough. Carter died at the age of 54 in 2003.

Jones captures the oversized talent, physically and emotionally, along with that big, wide-ranging voice and personality that made Carter a star. During the course of the show, she sings more than a dozen songs, most of them Fats Waller numbers that were featured in “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” Even the quietest numbers, like a tender bit of “Amazing Grace” or “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” have a powerhouse quality, and the show could use a few more subtle or quiet moments.

Her show runs about an hour, which doesn’t allow jones time to get into a lot of personal details that might enrich the biography. We hear about marriages mainly in passing, and don’t get a sense of the impact of some of the traumas in her life and how they drove her ambition.

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But you can’t watch jones without feeling a sense of excitement for the skill and vocal qualities. When she just glances at the audience encouraging patrons to stand and cheer, you feel compelled to comply.

The musical opening is directed by WBTT Artistic Director Nate Jacobs, who also staged and co-wrote the evening’s second piece, “Float Like a Butterfly” with his brother Michael Jacobs.

At first, the pieces seem like an odd combination, but there’s a musical, rhythmic quality to the writing of “Butterfly” and the performance of Darius Autry as Muhammad Ali.

The Louisville-born Cassius Clay experienced a similar kind of segregation as Carter but avoided gang trouble at a young age when he started learning to box. He was determined to become a heavyweight champion. Yet even when he returned home from the 1960 Olympic games in Rome with a gold medal around his neck, he wouldn’t be served in a downtown Louisville restaurant because of his race.

His journey, told through a mix of monologue and poetry punctuated by boxing moves, explores his decision to join the Nation of Islam, become Muhammad Ali, and face national scorn during his battle with the U.S. government over his legal battle to avoid being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War.

“Why send me in uniform to fight brown people in Vietnam when Black people at home are treated like dogs,” he says at one point.

Ali fought his way back to international respect in the boxing ring, claiming the heavyweight championship he long dreamed of three times and becoming an inspiration to millions for the way he fought for freedom and justice.

Autry rarely stops moving as he shadow boxes and bounces on the ring set up at center stage, except for lengthy breaks when he runs off stage to change from his boxing uniform to a suit and back again. He handles the poetic elements with relative ease though some of the script is not easy to follow. It does sing, however, in the more poetic moments.

Both shows are still developing but make for an enlightening evening as they explore lives we think we know, but probably don’t.

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“From Birmingham to Broadway,” starring and written by Tarra Conner jones and “Float Like a Butterfly” by Nate Jacobs and Michael Jacobs. Reviewed May 10, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. Through May 29. 941-366-1505; westcoastblacktheatre.org

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Muhammad Ali and Nell Carter highlighted in new Westcoast shows